


Look for the silver lining

by Julieoftarth (Wherethereissmoak)



Series: After the DragonPit [1]
Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M, JB Week, Post Season 7, on the road to winterfell, season 8 spec
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-01
Updated: 2017-10-01
Packaged: 2019-01-07 13:47:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12234099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wherethereissmoak/pseuds/Julieoftarth
Summary: Jaime and Bronn meet up with Brienne and Pod on the road back to Winterfell after the meeting in the DragonPit. Over drinks, they each try to come up with a silver lining in the terrible situation they all face.





	Look for the silver lining

**Author's Note:**

> This is for JB week and today’s theme is “Silver.” This is my very first Jaime/Brienne fic, so I hope you enjoy it! There will probably be errors since this is my first in this universe, so I apologize in advance. I will probably add to this later in the week if another theme goes with the story, or I will add to it after JB week. I'm not finished with my post season 7 ideas. ;)

Jaime slammed the silver coins down on the table and waved to the serving girl to bring them another round of drinks. The mood in their strange group was grim, and the spirits were doing little to help. Maybe the alcohol would warm them since winter was here and the southerners were not used to the chill on the road north. 

“Well, I’ll say it. We’re fooked,” Bronn said, downing his drink quickly and asking for another. 

Jaime had left King’s Landing all alone, but his sellsword friend had caught up to him quickly. Bronn told him that he had given up on the wife and the castle from Jaime Lannister, but he had spent so much time keeping the one-handed man alive that he wanted to make sure the investment of his time wasn’t wasted. Jaime, grateful to have someone on his side, took off his gold hand and gave it to Bronn. 

“I’m not going to need that anymore, and when this is all over, you can melt it down and use the gold to buy yourself a castle. Who knows - if the dead destroy the lands, you’ll probably get a good deal.” 

It felt good to laugh, despite their circumstances. The two traveled as fast as they could, allowing themselves little rest. They stopped at a keep to send a raven to the north with the news of Cersei not sending the army, and Jaime sent out a few others to Lannister bannermen as a hail Mary, but they had not wanted to wait around for a reply. 

Four days into their travels, they finally stopped at an inn for a hot meal and a bed for the night. Much to their surprise - they met Brienne of Tarth and her squire Podrick at the inn. 

The look of shock on Brienne’s face was almost worth everything he went through in leaving King’s Landing. He had worked hard to erase the memory of the look of hurt in her eyes when he blew off her plea that he “fuck loyalty” in their last conversation. Now her sapphire eyes radiated with surprise - and a hint of pride that he didn’t want to acknowledge made his heart race.

Over drinks, Jaime explained what happened and how Cersei had gone back on her word. There was no army heading north. Just Jaime and Bronn. Jaime noticed Brienne’s hand grip Oathkeeper tightly when he recounted how The Mountain had been ordered to kill him and Jaime had called his sister’s bluff. 

And now they all sat here depressed about how “fooked” they were when they got to the North, as Bronn had put it. 

“Well, at least there is a silver lining about how ‘fooked’ we are - we are now on the same side as the dragons. I’m relieved that we don’t have to face them in battle again,” Bronn said. He and Jaime both shivered at the memory. 

“For now,” Jaime said. “I could be facing that fire again when the dragon queen sees me. I did kill her father, after all. And tried to kill her not too long ago.” 

The group nodded glumly, and he felt bad for being such a downer. “What about you, Podrick? Do you have a silver lining to this messed up situation you could share with us?” Jaime asked, trying to lighten the mood again. 

The boy thought nervously for a moment. “Well, we all made it out of King’s Landing alive, and truth be told I don’t think any of us expected that to happen. And I’m happy to see Lord Tyrion and my Lady Brienne will be fighting on the same side.” 

Brienne looked at her squire fondly. Jaime grinned, and wanted to say “I told you so,” because she had been so opposed to having him as squire in the first place. 

“What about you,  _Lady_  Brienne, do you have a silver lining for this terrible situation?” He kept a teasing tone in his voice at her courtesy title. She stared down at her cup, and Jaime wished more than anything he could see her eyes. Brienne often kept her feelings to herself (fuck loyalty incident aside), but she rarely was able to stop her emotions from radiating in her eyes. 

“We may die facing the army of the dead,” she said softly. “But at least we we will not be fighting each other.” 

Jaime’s heart clenched at her words, because that had been a real possibility just a few days ago. “I’m glad it never came to that,” he said, his voice choked. Brienne raised her eyes to his, tears shone in them, and feeling he knew were also reflected in his. One day soon, they would have a conversation about those feelings, they had to. But not when he didn’t even know what fate he would meet when he got to Winterfell. And not so soon after cutting off his way of life in King’s Landing. 

“What about you, Ser Jaime? What silver lining do you have?” Podrick asked. 

Jaime thought about it for a few minutes, struggling to come up with anything. The innkeeper approached the group and put a message in Jaime’s hands. He read it and smiled. 

“Well, I am probably more in peril in the North than all of you. I’m heading toward Winterfell, where the Starks have every reason to hate me. Bran Stark, specifically. Not looking forward to that conversation. And then I will also meet the Dragon Queen, who also has every reason to kill me. And now my sister probably has a bounty on my head for treason, and I’m traveling North without the army she promised. The only hope I really have is Tyrion and Brienne speaking on my behalf.” 

He looked at his lady knight expectantly and she nodded. “Of course, Ser Jaime, I will tell of the honor I’ve seen in you. I already have told Lady Sansa.” 

Jaime gave her a smile in gratitude. 

“But this note carried by raven has given me another silver lining that just might save my skin. Almost all of the Lannister have pledged loyalty to me and are heading North to join the fight. They broke faith with Cersei. It seems when you pledge to House Lannister, and two out of three Lannisters are now on the side of the Dragon Queen so they go where Tyrion and I go.” 

The group’s mood increased dramatically after that. A few more drinks, and they bid each other good night, pledging that they would ride together toward Winterfell in the morning. 

Jaime found that he could not sleep, and Bronn’s snoring was driving him to madness. He decided to sit down in the inn’s main room by the fire, watching the flames flicker and try to banish the feelings he had when he finally saw his sister for who she was and when she had threatened his life. 

He must have dozed a bit, for he opened his eyes and realized Brienne was sitting next to him and he had no recollection of her joining him. She herself dozed, and he didn’t want to wake her. 

He found himself studying her while she slept. Pod had filled him in on their many adventures -how she had defeated the Hound and also killed Stannis. He was so proud of her. Catelyn Stark had been right - she was far more of a knight than he would ever be. 

Slowly, he let the feelings for her that he had not allowed to manifest in the past creep their way into his heart, and a warmth settled over him. 

He didn’t know what would happen to him when he arrived in Winterfell, if he would pay for his life for what he did to Bran Stark or the Dragon Queen’s father - but there was one silver lining to all of this no matter what happened 

Jaime had told Bronn once that he wanted to die in the arms of the woman he loves. And if he died in Winterfell by a Stark sword or the teeth of a dragon - the woman he loved would be there to hold him until he was gone. 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed! Drop me a comment and let me know what you think!


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